The Alabama Department of Workforce has opened a new Athens-Limestone Career Center at Athens State University, positioning Workforce Alabama to respond to the mounting workforce demands in one of the state’s fastest-growing regions.
The center, located in Chasteen Hall on Athens State’s campus, is designed to connect job seekers with employers at a time when rapid population and economic growth in Limestone County is intensifying competition for skilled labor.
Workforce Alabama officials say the facility will serve as a frontline hub for education, training and job placement as business activity continues to expand across the area.
The Athens-Limestone Career Center is Workforce Alabama’s first career center in the Tennessee Valley and was nearly a year in development.
According to a Fox 54 News report, the center was launched to strengthen workforce and economic development efforts in the region as business activity continues to accelerate.
The project was launched through a partnership between the Alabama Department of Workforce and Athens State University, bringing state workforce services directly into the community.
Services offered through the center include resume assistance, job placement support, workforce and vocational training guidance, and employee pre-screening for employers seeking qualified workers.
Officials say the three-pronged focus — education, training, and employment — is intended to strengthen the local labor pipeline as job openings increase.
State Senator Arthur Orr said on social media that the new career center reflects the realities of Limestone County’s growth and the need to better align workers with available opportunities.
Orr noted that he worked directly with Greg Reed, secretary of the Alabama Department of Workforce, to help bring the center to Athens as workforce needs in the region continued to accelerate.
Senator Orr also stated, “Getting a career center in Limestone County is a big deal. It’s one of the larger counties in the state and certainly one of the fastest growing. To meet the needs of job seekers and businesses, having a career center in the county is vital. Secretary Reed was instrumental in making this happen, along with Athens State University, which offered to host the facility rent-free on its campus. It’s a win for future employees, employers, and the state as a whole by getting more people into the workforce.”
Workforce Alabama leaders described the center as a strategic investment in both workforce and economic development, noting that additional initiatives are planned to build on the opening of the Athens-Limestone facility.
The career center is now open to the public and available to job seekers and employers seeking workforce assistance in Limestone County.
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